Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

Sixty-one years ago today, the amazing woman I call "Mom" was born. How I wish there were the words to describe to you the joy and the light that she has been to my life. She was my first (and best) "best friend." She has been my champion, my advocate, my strength, my voice, and my courage every day of my life. She's faced some exceptionally intolerable pain and never ceased to put me first. Although 500 miles separate us in body, she is always, always with my in spirit and I love her more now today than ever.

Here are the gifts and card we sent to her. I hope they made her smile and feel loved and missed and adored (because she is!)

First, the card (you know me, don't I always make a homemade card?). Remember that you can click on the photo for a larger image:



Stampin' Up products used cardstock (Almost Amethyst, Blush Blossom, Certaily Celery, and Elegant Eggplant), stamp set ("Sincere Salutations"), ink (Almost Amethyst), the square punch, white organdy ribbon, buttons (in Pale Plum and Mellow Moss), and Stampin' Dimensionals. The mini glue dots aren't from SU, and I used the Sizzix machine to cut out the flowers.

And here are her gifts (again, please click for a larger photo):



She likes Vera Bradley (and I am getting "in" to those bags as well), so we got her the "Small Cosmetic" in "New Hope" (love, love, LOVE that fabric) and the "Zip Wallet" in "Petal Pink." We also made her a mix-CD of songs to listen to at the office, in the car, or whenever she needs a musical uplift and wants to feel close to us. I threw in some classics I knew she'd love (a little Taylor Hicks with a dash of some Ella Fitzgerald and a splash of Dolly Parton) and some new stuff I think she will really like (Amos Lee, Chieli Minucci, and a host of others). I hope that she enjoys her gifts and knows how much we truly love and miss her. Happy Birthday, Mom. Can't wait to see you in a few weeks for Erin's birthday!!!

And on the thread of appreciations and photos, another huge THANK YOU SO MUCH to Chrissy for being a wonderful Secret Pal. Here's a photo of the final gift I received from her the day before yesterday:



I love the wool yarns! The Gems Sapphire is SO SOFT. And the Lorna's Laces is just gorgeous. This will make a VERY warm hat! And check out the home-made, sunshine-y washcloth! This will be a perfect addition to my next soak-in-the-tub-and-relax session! Thank you again, Chrissy. You rock my socks off!

Have a great night and a wonderful Friday, friends!